Engagement: Is Proposal Before Marriage Necessary?

I have seen videos of guys embarrassed while proposing. It's so heartbreaking that I wonder for what purpose certain people go into dating. I don't see the need asking you to marry me after several years of courtship except if it was a courtship on contract. Two people who are intentional about the future already know where the relationship is heading, and it shouldn't be a surprise that the partner wants to settle down at a certain point in time.

Image generated using Gemini AI

I'm already preparing to get married and I never proposed. She already knew where the relationship was leading and all I asked her was to tell me the things I needed to do to start the marriage rite. That's because I don't believe in asking a partner who I was committed to whether or not she wants to marry me. A proposal should be a stranger thing, asking someone who's a stranger to marry you, not someone you're committed to for years in a relationship.

It doesn't matter who was to propose, whether me or her, I don't buy the idea of proposal, especially for someone I have been in a relationship with for some years. We are not strangers and should know what we want while going into the relationship.